Reunited
by jamrulz
Summary: AU Right after Sonic goes home, Chris goes back to his parents. But a noise in the bushes stops him. What happens when he finds a bleeding, but alive Shadow the Hedgehog?
1. Chapter 1

"Bye Sonic." Twelve year old Christopher Thorndyke waved goodbye tearfully as his best friend Sonic the Hedgehog went back to his home world Mobius. He turned at the sound of his parents' calls, and smiled peacefully.

He was about to walk toward them, when he heard a rustle of nearby bushes. Curiously, Chris walked toward them and, with caution, parted the leaves. He gasped, tears falling down his face all over again.

Laying there was a dazed, bleeding, but alive Shadow the Hedgehog.

"Shadow!" Chris immediately bent down and gently shook Shadows' shoulder. Shadow groaned and opened his red eyes tiredly. A boy with reddish-brown hair and sky-blue eyes met his gaze. He knows him; He feels he should…

_The boy was telling him something. Something important. But he wasn't listening. He threw the boy against a wall. A pink girl ran out, yelling the boys' name._

"C-Chris..?" The boy nodded his head. Shadow looked at him silently for a few seconds, then fell back into darkness.

Chris let out a shaky breath and gathered the hedgehog into his arms. Getting onto his feet slowly, he began to walk towards his parents.

"Chris!" Chris fell into his mothers' embrace, happy to see her, but concerned about Shadow. His parents were both crying, murmuring apologies about not being there for him. He told them he accepted their apologies as long as they would try to show up to some occasions.

His mother finally noticed the black and red hedgehog in her sons' arms. "Chris, what is that?" Chris gave his mom a frown, "_His_ name is Shadow, Mom. He saved the world. Can we take him with us? He's hurt."

Both parents looked at their son, who looked down at Shadow in concern. A bond was going to grow between them, the Thorndykes could feel it.

"Okay, you can take him home. But we better clean him up first." Chris nodded quickly, and followed his parents to the car.

It took about two hours to get home. Lindsay looked over at her husband, smiling wearily. He gave her the same expression, and both went to open the back door to help their son out. Their eyes filled with affection at the adorable sight.

Chris had fallen asleep, resting his head in Shadows' quills. He was holding Shadow in his lap, arms loosely wrapped around Shadows' form. Said hedgehog was curled up against Chris' chest.

Neither looked like a bullet train could wake them up.

Mrs. Thorndyke, feeling queasy with the stench of blood, reluctantly lifted Shadow from her sons' arms while her husband lifted their son. Quietly they walked to the front door, where they were greeted by Chuck.

Chuck immediately stopped, and stared wide-eyed at Shadow in his daughter-in-laws' arms. He had been told by Sonic that the other hedgehog on the news, Shadow, didn't survive. Chris had been so upset. He would never forget how devastated his grandson was after that rescue.

"_They're back." Chuck ran to the door when he heard Ella's call. His grandson was okay. The world was still alive. He would have to thank Sonic for this. He saw his grand son walk out of the shuttle and ran toward him. When he came up close, he stopped short. _

_Chris looked pale and there were tears falling down his cheeks. He was gripping onto an unknown golden band with an iron grip, as if it were the only thing keeping him sane. He walked forward and gave his grandfather a weak hug, sobs coming out of him. _

_Chuck wrapped his arm around him, then looked at Sonic, who was looking at Chris in concern. Sonic looked up at him and mouthed, "I'll tell you later."_

Chuck knew that even though Chris had seemingly gotten over Shadows' death, the sadness and pain was always still there. Chris was never really the same after that day.

"He's all right?" Mrs. Thorndyke nodded her head. "We might need to clean him up. He's bleeding…and I don't know how much longer I can take it." Ella took Shadow from her arms, and walked to the bathroom to clean his wounds.

Mr. Thorndyke carried his son up the stairs to put him to bed, his wife following him. They had almost lost him, and it would take a while to make up for their mistakes.

They managed to dress Chris up without waking him, and they were just about to put him to bed when Ella came into the room, holding a bandaged Shadow.

The Thorndykes nodded their heads at the unspoken question that Ella was giving them. Slowly they put Chris into the bed and Ella placed Shadow beside him. All three looked down at the boy and hedgehog quietly for a few moments.

Finally, they quietly left the room and let their son and the hedgehog that they owed their lives to rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chris was the first to wake up, groaning from the woozy feeling that accompanies someone when they just woke up from sleep. He stretched and yawned and was just about to move, but a weight stopped him.

Chris turned and gave a big smile when he saw Shadow still asleep beside him. Last night wasn't a dream! He gently hugged the sleeping hedgehog, then got up to get dressed.

Shadow woke up shortly after Chris left. He let out a tired moan, then opened his eyes. He sat bolt upright when he saw he was in unfamiliar territory.

_Where am I? What happened?_

"Shadow!" The hedgehog turned, tensing in case of an attack, then saw that it was just Chris. Chris waved at him, smiling brightly. "I have to give you something."

He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a golden band that was eerily familiar to Shadow. But for the like of him, he can't remember why. All he could remember was Chris, a space colony, and a blonde-haired girl.

Chris knelt in front of him and held the band out. "This belongs to you." Chris frowned in concern when he saw Shadow giving the band a look of uncertainty. "What's wrong? You lost this in space, didn't you?"

"Yes…I was in space…You were up there…" He let out a pained groan, and pressed his hands to his head, trembling.

"Shadow, what's wrong?" Chris knelt down beside him and grasped his shoulders in concern. Shadow continued to groan in pain, until finally he began breathing easily again. Panting, he leaned against Chris' shoulder to regain his strength.

"I…I can't remember…I can't remember anything…" Chris felt himself grow numb, and clutched onto Shadow tighter. "You only remember me?"

"Yes…we were up in space…but I don't know why…" Chris gulped, not sure if he should tell Shadow about what happened. "I could tell you…if you want me to."

Shadow turned toward Chris and observed him quietly. Finally, he muttered, "It's not that I don't trust you. It's just…I'd rather find out on my own." Chris nodded, somewhat relieved that he was not a part of this.

"If you ever need any help about it, I'll be glad to help you." Shadow gave him a curt nod.

"Master Chris! Breakfast is ready!" Chris turned toward Ella's voice, then asked Shadow, "Want to come?" Shadow gave him another nod, although it was a bit hesitant.

He followed Chris closely; he was in new territory, and he had to be careful.

He would have to be even more careful in the future.

Several miles away, a black and grey hedgehog began to take form from the shadow of a nearby tree. The hedgehog opened his eyes, revealing two lime-green eyes. He smirked, revealing a sharp fang.

"This is gonna be _fun_."


	3. Chapter 3

Shadow sat down beside Chris, glaring at the other people gathered there. Chris' mom and dad gave him small smiles, Mr. Tanaka nodded at him, Chris' grandfather did the same as Mr. Tanaka, and Ella gave him a warm smile.

Chris turned to Shadow, "You feeling okay, Shadow? Do you want anything?" Shadow shook his head at the boy, not leaving his eyes from the other people. "No thank you Chris."

It was strange that he trusted the boy this quick. Of course they had met before, Shadow was certain of it, but still…He had a feeling that trusting others, especially humans, wasn't the number one thing on his to-do list. But he cannot figure out why the boy was changing him.

Aw, well. One more thing to uncover from the blanket covering his memories.

"Chris, don't forget. You have to get to school in fifteen minutes." Chris nodded, "Okay, dad." It felt kind of weird, his parents' being here, but he wasn't complaining. Shadow turned to Chris, "What's school?" "Um…it's a building that I go to…to learn things. It's a place that I hate. Every normal kid does."

"Then why do you go there, exactly?" "For my future." Shadow nodded, not exactly understanding. The bell from the clock suddenly rang, causing Shadow to flinch.

"Oh boy. Seven thirty. I'd better go." Chris quickly got up and ran to the front door, waving goodbye to everyone at the table.

"Bye Shadow." Shadow gave him a nod, and the boy ran out of the room.

…

"So, Chris, you're saying you found Shadow the Hedgehog?" Chris nodded happily at Helen, giving her a smile, "Yeah! I'm happy he's okay, but…he doesn't remember who he is. All he remembers is where he used to hang out and me." He had been told by Shadow that Space Colony Ark was kept secret, and only the government knew about it.

He was going to help keep it that way. "Well, at least he remembers you." Chris nodded, but a sad look began forming on his face, "It's just kind of sad. It seems like a lot of bad stuff happens to Shadow."

Helen placed her hand on top of his, causing Chris to blush. "He'll be okay. He's alive and healthy, and he has you as a friend. It'll be okay."

The two children didn't notice a GUN robot observing them.

…

"Shadow? He's still alive? I thought that blast from space took him out for good!" The soldier who gave his Commander the news flinched, not expecting this kind of behavior from his Commander.

"Where did you hear this news, soldier?" The man swallowed, then started talking, "A young boy and his friend were talking about him. It's very clear that Shadow is staying at the boys' house. The location of the boys' home is unknown at this point."

"Well, we'll just have to visit this boy. Where is he now, soldier?" "He's at the school." The Commanders' eyes widened unexpectedly, "Is this the same boy that was taken to the Space Colony Ark a few months ago?"

"He looked just like the boy, sir. So, yes it is." "Okay, I saw the television news, so I know what he looks like. Call the principal, and ask them when school time ends." The man nodded, "Yes sir!"

….

Chris walked down the street, his backpack slung over one shoulder. He wanted a little bit of fresh air before going back to the large mansion. A rumbling sounded behind him, and he turned to see a military van stopping behind him. It had the GUN symbol on it.

_Uh oh…_

The Commander smiled pleasantly at the boy, "Hello, son. Do you want to take a ride with us?" Chris shook his head slowly, "N-no thank you, sir. I really got to get home."

"Well, son, we could just drive you there." Chris shook his head again, "No thanks." "Come on. It'll be no trouble at all."

Chris hesitated, an idea forming in his head. "Well, okay." He got into the back of the van, smiling pleasantly at the military soldiers.

…..

"This is it. This is my house." The van stopped in front of the small, brown house. "Thank you again, sir." The Commander placed a hand on his shoulder, "How about we look around, son? Ask your mom, I'm sure she won't mind." Chris swallowed, "Yes sir. Thank you, sir."

Chris slowly walked to the front door, and knocked subtly. A woman with blonde hair opened the door, and gave a pleasant look to Chris. "Hello, Chris. What can I do for you?" She noticed the military on the front step, then turned toward the boy, "What's going on?"

Chris went into the house, then turned to her. "I have to ask you a favor."

…

After hearing everything, Helens' mom agreed that she would go along with the plan. While the military searched the house, Chris would go out the back door and run for his house.

He ran back to the van, "Mom said it's okay for you to look around." The Commander smiled, "Thank you, son." The military got out of the van, and went single-file into the house. Helens' mom placed her hands on Chris' shoulders, looking at the military, feigning concern.

"Is there anything I can get you while you look, sir?" The Commander tipped his hat, "No thank you, ma'am. Just wanting to look around. You might have a dangerous animal around these parts."

It was taking all he could to not launch himself at the old man, and telling him Shadow wasn't dangerous. _Stay calm Chris. Don't do anything to give you away…_

The Commander and his men went up the stairs to search, and then Helens' mom opened the back door slowly, "Go, Chris. Go." Chris whispered his thanks, and then ran to his house, not daring to stop until he reached the mansion.

…..

Shadow was the first to see him after he ran into the front door. The boy had sweat falling down his face, red with exhaustion. He raised an eyebrow at the boy, watching silently.

Finally, the hedgehog spoke to the boy, "Hello Chris. How was school?" The boy stood gasping for a few more minutes, then answered, "GUN cornered me on the way back from school. I had to trick them." He gasped as he saw Shadow groan, and held his head in his hands.

"Shadow?" Chris walked forward, grasping his shoulders. Shadow looked up, giving Chris a glare. "Did you say…GUN?" Chris nodded slowly.

Shadow felt a rush of hate for GUN, along with fear for Chris, but he didn't know why. "Chris, should you go back to school tomorrow?" Chris shook his head without hesitation, "No, of course not. I think they might corner me tomorrow when they find out I lied to them. But…I can't just not go."

Shadow just fixed him with a glare. "I don't trust GUN, and I don't want you to get hurt. I have a feeling I ought to protect you, Chris, and I can't do that when you just head into danger."

Chris nodded slowly, "I'll have to leave a note for my parents." Shadow nodded, agreeing with the idea. Chris hated the idea that they had to run away. He had just tried to run away from his parents last night. They might think he hadn't forgiven them.

But he did have to have safety. His parents would want that for him too. Sighing, he trudged up to his room, and emptied his backpack, refilling it with things he might need. He wrote a note in careful handwriting:

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I'm really sorry, but I'm leaving. This doesn't have anything to do with you. Trust me, if there was another way, I would take it. But there isn't. The military cornered me at school, and I think they're after Shadow. I need to help him, and I need to help myself. The military might corner me at school tomorrow, so I decided to back off until they give up. Please give a note to my teacher explaining my absence. Shadow will protect me, so don't worry. I will always love you, and I will try to find a time to come back. We both will._

_Love Christopher._

Chris kissed the note softly, then placed it on his bed. He nodded at Shadow, telling him he was ready. Shadow unexpectedly scooped him into his arms, and began moving at sonic speed down the highway, until the city became a speck in the distance.

They didn't notice a certain grey and black hedgehog watching them from the nearby trees.


	4. Chapter 4

"Shadow...?" Mephiles watched at the boy and hedgehog intently as they ran down the road. _What is he doing here? I'll have to deal with this myself…_

The hedgehog began using his shoes to hover over to Shadow and Chris until they were neck and neck. Chris gasped in surprise, "What is that?" Shadows' eyes widened, "I don't know…" He quickly gained more speed, trying to outrun the imposter, but he still managed to keep up.

"Chris, hold on tight. I'm about to go supersonic speed now." Chris nodded, and shut his eyes tightly. Chris literally felt the air from underneath them as Shadow ran the fastest he ever had. The look-alike stopped and watched them go without saying a word.

…

Chris gasped, "Wow…that was a rush." Shadow placed Chris down and crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought. "Why did that hedgehog look so much like me?"

Chris shrugged, "I don't know. But we have to be even more careful. It seems we became the popular individuals all of a sudden, what with GUN and that hedgehog out there." Both of them walked down the road, not knowing where fate will lead them.

…

Lindsay sobbed in her husbands' arms, clutching the note in her hand. Her husband stroked her hair, a solemn look on his face. Chuck just sighed, then walked forward to his son and daughter-in-law. He placed a hand on Lindsay's shoulder, "Don't worry, Lindsay. Shadow will protect him, just like the letter said. He'll be okay."

Lindsay sniffled, looking at her father-in-law's brown eyes. "This is for the best, right? I mean, GUN _would _try to corner him. His safety depends on this."

_You will come back, Chris. You just have to…_

…..

Sonic the hedgehog ran through the dirt paths, smiling at all the familiar sights. Ah, Mobius! It was so great to be back home.

_Still…I wish Chris would be here. He was a really good friend._

The hedgehog ran and ran until he saw his friend, Tails. The fox smiled and waved at him. Sonic waved back, and continued with what he was doing.

_I have a strange feeling that I will see Chris again, someday._

….

Shadow the hedgehog carried a sleeping Chris down the road. He didn't have to sleep, unless he really needed to. They must have been running for hours. Shadow looked down at the boy in his arms. The sleeping face made him look more like a child than ever.

The need and determination to protect Chris came to him even stronger than before. Nothing will happen to any of them. He promised himself and to the sleeping boy in his arms.

…

Chris slowly groaned, and opened his eyes, blinking them quickly from the blinding light. Shadow was still running fast, hardly breaking a sweat. Shadow raised an eyebrow.

"Good morning Chris." Chris woke up a little more, and looked at Shadow, "Aren't you tired? You can stop if you want." Shadow shook his head, "I'm fine." His tone was cranky and it sounded a bit tired, but Chris didn't pry anymore on the subject.

They both continued down the road, until it seemed to be around nine. Chris gently tapped Shadow's shoulder. "Do you want to stop now? I don't mind walking." Shadow 'hmmph', but put Chris down. Both boy and hedgehog continued their walk in silence.

"Shadow, why do you think the military are after you? If it's something to do with your past, then I can't even answer it. I know nothing of why the Commander wants to get rid of you." Shadow crossed his arms, not breaking free from his stride.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Chris sighed, and looked up at the sky overhead. "I hope my parents and grandpa and everyone else aren't freaking out. We don't need any more people chasing us." Shadow frowned up at Chris.

"I wouldn't worry as much if I were you. Those people could be miles away by now. They probably don't even know we've left the city."

…..

"Alright, soldiers! That boy lied to us, but we'll still be able to catch him. Nothing can escape our detection robots for long."

"Sir!" The Commander turned to see a lone soldier run up to him, and saluted. "The boy has been declared missing from our robots. He's not at the school and in none of the houses or stores. The hedgehog is reported missing as well."

The Commander fought the urge to punch the nearby window and took a deep breath. "I want you all to spread out within a 200 yard radius. If you don't find them, take a 600 yard radius."

The soldier swallowed, and continued, "Sir? If Shadow and the boy are missing, doesn't that tell you that Shadow isn't as evil as you think? Why would a child leave with an evil monster, especially to get him away from our radar?"

The Commanders' eyes narrowed, "I gave you an order, Soldier! I expect you to follow it."

The soldier saluted one last time, then ran back to his post.

_Nothing will stop me from getting you, Shadow the Hedgehog._

…

Shadow and Chris had just gotten breakfast, and they were walking down the road quietly, until they felt a burst of wind fly past them. When the dust cleared, they saw, once again, the black and grey hedgehog.

"Hello, Shadow the Hedgehog." Chris gasped softly, his blue eyes widening. Shadow raised a protective arm in front of the boy, and glared openly at the look-alike. "Who are you?"

"I am Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark. …Don't tell me you've forgotten me again." Shadow said nothing, just glared his hardest at the hedgehog.

Mephiles smirked at the pair, and raised his hand up. A blackish, purple smoke covered his hand. Mephiles smirked again. "Goodbye."

Chris and Shadow screamed in shock and alarm as they were taken to a different world.

….

Sonic heard chilling, terrified screams as he ran to Tails' workshop. The screams sounded familiar. Kind of like…

"Chris?" Sonic immediately turned from the workshop and ran down the trail in the direction of the screams. Chris was the only human friend he ever had; he couldn't die! His fear that the boy could be hurt or killed caused him to go even faster.

Over the hill, he saw the boy unconscious, face-down in the dirt. Sweat and a little bit of blood was falling down his face. "Chris!" Sonic ran toward the boy and was about to shake him awake when a fist punched him away. Sonic grunted and pushed up, his eyes widening to the size of basketballs.

The black and red hedgehog that he _knew _hadn't survived during the ARK incident stood in front of the unconscious boy with a protective aura and a harsh glare that would put Knuckles to shame. The hedgehog gave no signs of recognition to the wide-eyed blue hedgehog.

"Go near the boy and die."


	5. Chapter 5

Sonic gulped and raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, "Whoa Shadow! It's me, Sonic! We saved the Earth together!" Shadow just narrowed his eyes. "You have me mistaken for someone else, stranger. I have never met you before." Sonic looked confused, but he quickly shrugged it off.

"I know Chris. I'm his friend, Shadow." Soft groaning interrupted the conversation. Shadow looked down at the boy, kneeling down beside him. He gently shook his shoulder.

"Chris, are you okay?" "Mm...? Shadow..?" The boy groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. Both failed to notice the blue hedgehog gaping at Shadow. Sonic never saw Shadow so…_gentle_ to someone before. It felt a little weird seeing him like that.

Chris turned to Sonic and his astonished look turned to a huge smile. "SONIC!" The boy ran to the blue hedgehog and wrapped him into a hug. Sonic welcomed the hug, although he preferred it without a certain hedgehog glaring at him with distrust. Chris turned back to Shadow, speaking to him soothingly.

"It's okay Shadow. Sonic _is _your friend. The amnesia made you forget. When somebody who is not a friend comes, I'll tell you." Shadow searched the boy's face in silence. "…Very well." He turned his gaze to Sonic and gave him an _I'll be watching you _look. Sonic just gulped and looked up at Chris.

"Amnesia?" Chris gave Sonic a sad frown, "I'll explain later." Chris held his hand out for Shadow, "Let's go, Shadow." The hedgehog gripped the boy's hand and both of them followed the blue hedgehog.

…

Sonic looked up at Chris, smiling. "A lot of people miss you Chris. Especially Cream. I think you were like the brother she never had." Chris smiled back, "I thought she was like a sister too." Shadow looked up at the boy in question, "Who's Cream? Have I met her before?"

Chris shook his head, "Actually you haven't. She's really nice; I believe you'll like her." Shadow looked puzzled, but nodded. Sonic smiled at the black and red hedgehog, "I don't know how anybody could not like Cream. She's like a walking, talking angel."

"Oh, _really_?" Sonic gasped and turned his head, paling in fright. Sure enough, a certain pink hedgehog looked at him with fire _literally _in her eyes. She had her hammer out in the open, her form surrounded by flames. Amy's head went bright red with anger, and she snarled at Sonic.

"What were you saying about Cream?" Sonic stammered, "I'm not thinking about her like _that _Amy!" He slowly walked backward, holding his hands peacefully, but Amy just walked after him. Finally she ran at him, and Sonic, naturally, got away from her in two seconds.

Chris and Shadow just watched the two streaks of blue and pink run around the field. Chris shook his head, "They just never quit…" Shadow just crossed his arms, watching the hedgehogs with a frown. They were so annoying; he wondered how Chris can stand them. Finally, Amy noticed them.

"CHRIS!" The pink hedgehog ran to the boy and hugged him around the waist. Chris was surprised by the force of the hug, but hugged the pink hedgehog back fiercely. Amy's eyes widened as she saw the hedgehog that she thought she would never see again.

"_Shadow?" _

Shadow stiffened when he felt arms wrap tight around his form. Chris gently removed Amy from Shadow. Amy turned to him, eyes filled with annoyance and confusion. "Shadow needs some space. He has…" He leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"…amnesia." Amy gasped loudly, her hand covering her mouth. "WHAT?" Chris placed a finger against his lips, looking nervously at the red and black hedgehog that was watching them. "We need to be patient with him. There must be no pressure." Amy nodded, concern in her bright, emerald gaze. Chris looked at Shadow, "She's a friend Shadow. She didn't know about your amnesia." Shadow nodded, although he kind of remembered the girl from the earlier flashback.

"It's okay Shadow. I won't let anyone hurt you…" Shadow gave the boy a glare that was somewhat filled with concern. "It's not me you need to worry about, Chris." Chris blushed in embarrassment. "Right…sorry…" Sonic shook his head fondly. He missed that kid.

Amy turned her gaze to Sonic. "Doesn't Shadow seem…different?" Sonic watched the boy and hedgehog ahead of them conversing quietly. "Yeah, actually. It looks so weird. You should have seen him when I first found them. He looked like he would tear me apart if I even took half a step toward Chris."

Amy nodded, "It's kind of scary." Sonic shrugged, "Well, he has amnesia. I guess it's only natural." Amy's gaze turned to a look of unease. "What if he gets his memory back? What then?" Sonic sighed, "We'll find out when the time comes."

…..

After a tearful reunion with Cream and Vanilla, Sonic and the rest of the party sat outside to talk about how Chris and Shadow arrived. "You say you met a hedgehog that looked a lot like Shad here?" Shadow bristled, "Don't call me that." Sonic rolled his eyes. _Well one thing hasn't been forgotten: how much he doesn't like me._

Chris shook his head subtly at Shadow, then turned to Sonic, "Yes. His name is Mephiles." Sonic nodded, though his eyes still held worry. There's always a guarantee that this shady character can appear here. He seemed to know Shadow as well, which means another problem. With Shadow's amnesia, who knows what kind of mental trauma this Mephiles character can cause?

Chris apparently thought the same thing because he gripped onto Shadow's hand. _I won't let anyone harm him. I'll die first before I let that happen!_

Shadow looked up at the boy with a frown, not liking what he was seeing. He plainly read the boy like a book. "Chris, I won't let you put yourself in danger for me." Chris looked at him with protests in his blue eyes. "I don't want to sit on the sidelines when _any _of my friends are in danger. That's how it's always been, and that's how it will always be. I want to help." Shadow continued to give the boy a glare, "I know you do, but the only way that you can help me is to not distract me by putting yourself in harms' way." It was a hard truth, but it did make sense. Chris didn't have to like it, but it would be better if he wasn't a distraction out on the battlefield, not just for Shadow, but with all his friends.

"…Alright, Shadow, I'll stay out of danger. But I don't have to like it."

Shadow nodded, "That's all I ask."

Sonic looked at the boy and the hedgehog intently. What was going on? Ever since Chris and Shadow came here, it seems that Chris had flat out ignored him and focused all his attention on Shadow. What happened to that final, touching moment between the two of him?

And more importantly…

…was he becoming jealous?


	6. Chapter 6

Vanilla walked forward into the room, looking at Chris and Shadow with excitement. "Come on, children. We're all getting ready for the shooting stars. It's our favorite time of the day." Chris smiled in excitement, "That sounds fun! Shadow, do you want to see it?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "That sounds okay…" He followed the cheerful boy out of the living room. Sonic just narrowed his eyes, following the pair silently. In his foul mood, he barely felt Amy gripping onto his arm as they walked out the door.

The group gathered around silently, watching the stars silently. Chris sat down next to Shadow, who was looking at the stars like he would be looking for answers. The boy placed a hand on the black hedgehog's shoulder, a silent question on his face. Shadow gave him a reassuring look. Cream held Cheese in her lap as she herself sat in her mother's lap. Amy looked at the stars with a look of bliss, not of the stars' beauty, but because she was holding onto her true love.

Sonic just had his arms crossed, glaring green daggers at the black hedgehog.

_Who the heck does Shadow think he is? __**I **__was Chris's friend first! This is just some rotten conspiracy!_

Sonic felt Amy pull him closer to her and he whimpered uneasily. He may be upset, but he still didn't want Amy to comfort him. "Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog turned to Chris, "Yeah, Chris?" The boy smiled, "Do the stars fall every night?" Sonic smiled back, giving the boy a wink and a thumbs-up, "Yep. It's really pretty." Chris smiled turning to Shadow again, much to Sonic's dismay.

_What gives?_

"Shadow…about the military…" Sonic's blue ears perked upward at this. Military? What military? His mouth turned to a scowl as he saw Chris lean closer toward the black hedgehog and both of them began talking in whispering tones. This is getting absolutely ridiculous.

Chris hugged the black hedgehog briefly, causing Sonic to drop his mouth in shock. Not because of Chris hugging Shadow, that kid would give a hug to anyone of his friends. No, it was because…

…Shadow hugged him back.

That was weird. Shadow didn't seem like the affectionate type. The blue hedgehog saw the boy stroking the black quills and he watched the hedgehog slowly shake his shoulders. Was Shadow crying? Sonic narrowed his eyes. _I guess I can cut Shads a break. I've never seen him this emotional before._

After a few minutes, Shadow released Chris, a sliver of gratitude in the usual cold, unreadable ruby eyes.

"Shadow, Sonic, what are we going to do about Mephiles? He had the same powers as Shadow? What if…he shows up here? And what if he takes the Chaos Emeralds? I just have a horrible feeling something bad will happen…"

Cream gave Chris a reassuring look, "Don't worry, Mr. Chris. Mr. Shadow and Mr. Sonic can handle this Mephiles easy. And Mr. Knuckles is really good at guarding the emeralds. I know everything will be okay."

Chris sighed, looking back up at the sky. _Easy for you to say… _

Amy, in an attempt to change the mood, asked, "So, Chris…what have you been doing since we left?" Chris shared a glance with Shadow, raising an eyebrow as if asking if it was okay. Shadow gave him a curt nod. Sonic felt another stab of jealousy at the way Shadow and Chris seemed to know each other really well at such a short amount of time.

_This is just not right…Shadow tried to kill everybody on his planet, and Chris accepts him just like that? Who am I, Luigi Plumber? _(I had to do it! Luigi I love you!)

"Well, I found Shadow lying unconscious, so I took him home with me. I woke up and Shadow and I talked. That's when I discovered he had amnesia. I went to school, and GUN cornered me." Cream hugged Cheese close to her, looking at Chris with a frightened expression.

"They cornered you, Mr. Chris?" Chris nodded, "They were after Shadow. Shadow?" Shadow had his hands pressed against his head, eyes shut tight as he fought the overwhelming pain in his skull. Cream gasped and Vanilla held onto her daughter in comfort. Amy covered her mouth with her hand. Sonic and Tails looked at him with concern.

Chris held Shadow's shoulders as he tried to soothe the hedgehog. Shadow continued groaning in agony until the pain subsided slightly. Panting, he gripped onto the boy's arms, seeking something to keep his mind off the pain. Chris watched his suffering friend with saddened eyes, desperately wishing he could do more to ease his friend's pain.

"M-maybe I should stop talking. I'll tell you the rest tomorrow." Vanilla took Cream off her lap and walked over to the black hedgehog. She gently pulled him up and let him lean on her side. Shadow was too tired and in too much pain to protest. "Come along, dear." Vanilla and Shadow walked off, Chris walking after them.

Sonic looked at Amy, Cream, and Tails with confusion. They all shrugged and looked back to the house, obviously concerned for Shadow's health. Sonic wished he could feel the same amount of concern he was feeling, but how could he when it seems like all Shadow's doing is taking Chris' friendship away from him?

_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7

Shadow opened his eyes weakly, feeling vertigo through his entire body. The last thing he remembered was Chris mentioning GUN again, and then nothing.

_Did I just faint in front of all those people? _Shadow groaned in embarrassment and covered his face with the pillow. The faint creak of the door echoed softly through the room.

"Shadow?" The hedgehog groaned from the headache and opened ruby eyes tiredly. "Hey, kid." Chris walked into the room, holding a steaming cup in his hand. "I brought some tea. Vanilla said it should help with your headache." The hedgehog narrowed his eyes, not saying a word.

"…That's really generous of her." Chris nodded, concern completely evident in his blue eyes. "Are you feeling any better?" Shadow groaned, "If you're asking me if I don't see the room spinning anymore, then yes." Chris sighed in relief. "That's really great. A lot of people were concerned." Shadow frowned, "I don't need their worry." Chris raised his hands up in surrender.

"I know. I know. But they all care about you Shadow." Shadow looked down at the floor, not speaking. "Do you feel okay to get up?" The black hedgehog nodded and got off the bed slowly. He shook his head as Chris stood up to help, and walked a few paces forward, his hand against the wall for balance.

"Breakfast is ready, children." Both human and hedgehog turned toward the door at Vanilla. She smiled at Shadow, "So glad you're feeling better, darling." Shadow nodded, "Thank you, Vanilla." The adult bunny smiled and closed the door softly. Chris nodded at Shadow, "Let's go."

…

"Hi, Mr. Chris. Hi, Mr. Shadow." Cream's childish, innocent voice filled the room as they entered the dining room. Chris gave a warm smile to Cream. "Hey, Cream." Shadow just gave a curt nod to the bunny girl and sat at the table.

"So how did you sleep, Mr. Chris?" Chris laughed good-naturedly. "You don't have to call me 'Mr.', Cream. Just 'Chris' would be fine." Cream blushed, "Sorry. I forgot." She turned solemn and asked quietly, "How's Miss. Ella?" Chris' heart ached seeing Cream's sad face. Ella was kind of like a second mother to Cream. During the first few months in Chris' world, Cream was separated from her mother.

Ella took care of her as if she was her own child. They cooked and cleaned the house together and Ella had comforted her when she was scared or missing her mother and Emerl, the robot she had befriended…and destroyed.

"She's fine, Cream. But she really misses you." Cream nodded, a few tears falling down her face. Shadow felt a tug at his heart as he watched Cream cry. He got off his seat, walked to Cream, and gently patted her head. Cream smiled tearfully at Shadow in thanks, then wiped her eyes. "Is everybody else in your world alright?" Chris nodded, "They're alright. They miss all of you, though."

"Hey, everybody!" Everybody looked out the window and saw no other than Sonic the Hedgehog waving at them from the window. "Sonic!" "Mr. Sonic!" Cream and Chris ran out the door to meet their blue friend. Shadow grunted in frustration. _He's so annoying!_

Vanilla noticed the look Shadow was making and patted the hedgehog's shoulder, "He may seem a little over-active, but he has a good heart." Shadow nodded. He was sure that this Sonic guy had a good heart, it's just his attitude and enthusiasm was starting to get on his nerves.

_Might as well go out too…_ He gave a nod to Vanilla, got up from the table, and went outside.

….

"So, how are you today, buddy?" Chris shrugged, "I'm doing pretty well, Sonic." Sonic looked toward the door, "How's Shads doing?" Chris' smile turned to a worried frown. "He's better than last night, but his head still irritates him a little."

"I'm fine, hedgehog." Everyone turned to look at Shadow as he emerged from the front door, Vanilla beside him to help his balance. Sonic just gave him a thumbs-up, "Sure thing, buddy." Shadow growled irritatingly, "NEVER call me 'buddy'."

Sonic smirked at the hedgehog, "What, you don't like that name?" Chris turned to Sonic, glaring in warning, but the hedgehog paid no attention to him. Shadows' eyes narrowed even more and he took a few steps forward, "What did I just say to you?" Sonic smiled tauntingly.

"Sonic, no…" Chris looked at Sonic pleadingly, begging him not to cause trouble. Sonic continued on, "Not to call you 'buddy', buddy." Chris whimpered and covered his eyes with his hand. _This is not going to end well…_

Shadow growled even louder than last time, causing Cream to gasp and hide behind Chris' legs. Chris swallowed, turning to Sonic, "Sonic, stop it. Don't cause any trouble." Sonic turned his head toward the boy and frowned.

"Boy…some reunion this is. Maybe I'll come back when you feel a little more welcoming." He turned to run off, but before he did, he turned to Chris one more time, hurt in his green eyes.

"Try to remember who you're _real _friends are, kid."

The hedgehog ran from the house, leaving a group of bewildered people behind.

…..

Chris looked at the spot where Sonic ran, then turned toward Cream. "What did I do?" Cream shrugged, confusion in her soft, brown eyes. Vanilla had watched the whole thing and got the hidden message pretty quick. Letting go of Shadow, she walked over to Chris and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Chris, may I talk to you for a moment?" She gently led the boy inside the house, closing the door behind her. Vanilla sat before the confused boy and talked gently. "Chris…I think that Sonic…is a bit jealous."

"Huh? Why would he be jealous?" Vanilla gave him a motherly look, "I think he saw you focusing all your attention on Shadow, that he thought you forgot him." Chris' eyes widened, "It had only been a few days since you all went home. Sonic is one of my best friends, I would never forget him."

Vanilla placed her hands on his. "I know, Honey. But I guess it's kind of weird for him to see you not paying any attention to him anymore. At Earth, you idolized him. And…I guess he enjoyed that a little. Not even Tails treated him with that much attention." She saw a little bit of betrayal enter the boys' eyes and hastily added, "I'm not saying that he will leave you in the dust if you don't pay attention to him: he still would see you as a friend, but I guess you giving him all your attention made him think that that was how you showed him you cared."

Chris nodded his head slowly, although inside his head, he had to disagree. Him _idolizing _Sonic? That wasn't how he acted around him…was it? A few memories flew through his head and embarrassment and shame flew through him. He must've acted like a helpless baby around all of them.

_I will __**never **__act like that again._ With that thought through his head, he thanked Vanilla for the talk and went out to find Sonic.

…

Sonic groaned. Why did he act like that? Sure, he's upset about the Chris and Shadow dilemma, but that was no reason for him to be too harsh with the kid. Sighing, he looked out at the lake, filled with self-loathing.

"I thought I might find you out this way." Sonic looked up slowly, guilt reflected in his pale, green eyes. "Chris…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I-I mean…" Chris smiled softly at him, "I forgive you, Sonic. I hope you can forgive me." Sonic raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Chris? You have nothing to be sorry about." Chris shook his head. "Yes, I do. I…didn't really pay that much attention to you since I got here, huh?" Sonic looked down, a little embarrassed and nodded. "I know I…worshiped you I guess, back home…but just because I don't now, doesn't mean I don't care about you any less."

Sonic sighed, "I know I sound a little shallow, but I really did like all the attention. I'm sorry-I guess it was kind of a shock to me." Chris nodded, "I will tell you though, I won't go that far with idolizing you again. I was kind of acting like a baby last time; I'm too old for that now."

Sonic nodded, "I understand completely." Chris wasn't finished yet, "There's another thing with your behavior with Shadow. You can't be jealous that I'll spend more time with him in the future. I'm the only one Shadow trusts right now. His amnesia makes him vulnerable and he needs me. You have to be patient with him and with me."

Sonic groaned quietly, but nodded. He had no excuse to get upset with Shadow. The hedgehog doesn't have any memory. Why should he be angry at him?

Chris smiled, "Thank you, Sonic."


	8. Chapter 8

Shadow paced in front of Creams' house, looking toward the place where Chris ran off. He sensed Cream standing by, watching him in concern, but he didn't bother to talk to her.

"Don't worry, Mr. Shadow. I know Chris and Sonic will come back, eventually. They might be on their way right now."

As if hearing Creams' statement, a huge cloud of dust filled their visions. Shadow squinted and saw a laughing Chris riding piggyback style on Sonics' back.

"AWESOME! That was a rush! We gotta do that again!"

Sonic smirked, "Next time, we'll take a trip down Green Hill. It'll change your life." Shadow walked up to the two friends and looked at Chris.

"Did you sort everything out?" Chris nodded his head, giving Shadow a bright smile. "Yes, Shadow. And Sonic would like to say something to you." The boy turned toward Sonic, giving him a smile.

Sonic looked at Shadow with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry for my attitude, man. I was having a bad day."

Shadow nodded, folding his arms. Sonic snorted. _This guy is all business._

Said hedgehog turned toward the road and murmured, "I think I'm going to go on a little run. I'll be back soon." With that, a black and red dash flew from the crowd of friends and raced down the dirt path.

Chris frowned, looking out at the road with worrisome eyes. "You think he's going to be okay?" Sonic gave him his signature wink and thumbs-up.

"He'll be fine, kid. If he survived that ARK incident, he could survive the loss of memories." Chris just continued to look down the road, blue eyes filled with helplessness.

_If only I can take some of his pain away…_

….

Shadow ran on in silence, looking around at the nature with unemotional eyes. His memories still hadn't returned yet. What if they never do?

Would he just have to remember himself as Shadow the Hedgehog, and make a new life for himself?

He could do that, but he would still have to deal with his visions of the blonde-haired girl. Last night, during his pain-induced sleep, he figured out the girls' name.

_Maria…if you can hear me…will you help me? _Silence answered his thoughts.

The hedgehog continued his run, on single thought continuing to burn in his mind.

_Who am I..?_

….

Chris sighed in relief when he saw Shadow out the window. Asking politely to be excused, he got up to exit the house, Cream and Cheese soon following him. "Shadow, how was your run?"

The hedgehog folded his arms, closed his eyes, and bent his head downwards. "It was a little confusing."

Chris' eyes filled with concern, but he didn't press him. Shadow still needed to take it easy; it was best for his memories to come back naturally.

A whoosh out of the corner of his eye announced the arrival of Sonic. "Hey, what's up?"

Cream smiled, "We're just talking, Mr. Sonic." Sonic smiled at her. "Hey, does anyone want to go grab some chili dogs?"

Before anyone could answer, a cold, quiet voice appeared out of nowhere. "You're not going anywhere."

Screams from Cream and Chris got the two hedgehogs' attention, and they looked up to see Chris and Cream suspended in mid-air, a light blue ball made of some energy surrounding them.

Footsteps caused Shadow and Sonic to turn back to the intruder. A gloved hand, illuminated by the same light-blue energy was the first thing they noticed. They moved their gazes to the intruders' face and studied him.

It was a snowy-white hedgehog. His quills were spread out, and he had three quills sticking straight up from his head. He had white chest fur and two gold rings, similar to Shadow, only the gold rings had a light blue light in the middle. His gloves had light blue patterns on the palm and top of the hand. Gold boots, with light blue and black patterns were on his feet, a zipper in the middle of each boot.

His golden eyes glared at the four people, his mouth a cold, hard frown.

Sonic tensed up, getting into attack position, Shadow following suit. "Who are you?"

The unknown hedgehog abruptly released his telekinesis, Chris and Cream forgotten. "I am Silver the Hedgehog." He pointed his hand at Sonic, and his glare intensified (if that was even possible).

"And I am here to stop you."

…

Chris and Cream stared at the three hedgehogs, eyes wide with fear and concern for their friends. Cream turned to Chris, "W-Why does that hedgehog want to stop Mr. Sonic, Chris? He didn't do anything."

Chris shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. Oh, I wish I never made that promise to stay out of trouble."

He stood up, "Wait a minute… Silver, right?" The white hedgehog turned his gaze to the boy, eyes filled with annoyance.

"Stay out of this, kid. This doesn't concern you." Sonic and Shadow both gave him the same looks. Chris ignored them, lowering his voice to a more gentle tone.

"Why do you want to stop Sonic? What did he do?" Silver continued to glare, and used his telekinesis to push Chris away harshly.

Chris groaned, feeling a little bit of deja-vu from the Space Colony ARK incident, when Shadow kept pushing him against the wall. 

Sonic growled at that, and leapt forward, punching the unsuspecting hedgehog in the stomach. Shadow zoomed forward as well. Nobody hurts his friend and gets away with it.

Silver stood up and glared, tightening his hands into fists. This was gonna be a bloodbath.

_To be continued…_

_Sorry for not updating for a while, guys. My computer messed up back in December, and all of my files disappeared, so I was too upset to do it again. But after rereading all my reviews, I knew I had to at least get another chapter for the loyal fans. Next chapter will be longer, don't worry. _


	9. Chapter 9

Sonic was the first to start attacking. He did a spin-dash and tried to hit the white hedgehog. Silver just jumped up, effortlessly avoiding the attack. Unfortunately, his moment of cockiness made him forget about the other hedgehog until it was too late.

"CHAOS SPEAR!" Silver turned around…only to be hit with the beam of energy. He grunted with pain at the contact, and landed on the ground, collapsing on his knees. He sensed the two hedgehogs coming to grant him with another hit. He quickly leaped backwards, using his telekinesis to lift a nearby tree and aiming it at Sonic and Shadow. Shadow managed to get back in time, however Sonic wasn't as lucky.

Chris gasped and Cream turned and fell into his arms, whimpering in fear. Cheese gripped onto the top of Creams' head, his eyes tightly clenched and murmuring in fright, saying his signature, "Chao, chao." Chris bit his bottom lip, feeling helpless. Shadow turned back, finally noticing Sonic.

The blue hedgehog was covered with dirt from head to toe. Scratches from sliding harshly on the ground and the prickly surface of the tree covered his arms and legs. A bit of blood had appeared on his face and his left leg. The reason for that was the tree had fallen on his leg…

…making him an extremely easy target for Silver.

Shadow ran to Silver to try to finally stop this. Silver looked at the hedgehog and, after a moments' indecision, moved his hand outwards where the two kids and chao were hiding. Chris and Cream were lifted again, making them yelp in surprise and terror.

Shadow stiffened, his full attention on the blue-eyed human lifted up in the air against his will. The boy looked back at him, trying to give him a reassuring smile, but failing miserably, especially with him and Cream getting lifted higher every second.

Silver turned to Shadow, a confidant smirk on his face. "Take one more step in stopping me, and you'll never see these kids again." Silver had no intention or thought of going through with his threat, but Shadow and Sonic didn't have to know that. Shadow froze in place, looking at the children, stiffening as he felt some sort of deja-vu.

_Heavy breathing, a soft, warm hand encased in his…_

_Rapid footsteps from behind them; cold, bare walls, the vastness of space…_

_A gentle but firm push into some sort of glass case. The same blonde girl turning toward him with a luminous pair of frightened but loving eyes..._

_A shot of blaster fire… the sight and the smell of blood. The girls' eyes slowly closing as she felt her life slip away…_

_Chris looking at him in some sort of prison, the same blue eyes pleading for something…_

Shadow growled more menacingly than Chris had ever heard. He looked toward his friend, a mixture of concern and fright in his eyes. Sonics' green eyes widened as he saw Shadows' form being surrounded by an angry red aura. Even Silver was beginning to lose his smile the longer he watched.

Deep, dark laughter that seemed even unnatural for Shadow exited his lips as he folded into himself, as if he was about to demonstrate a spin-dash himself, but as he did, the aura grew brighter and brighter. Chris and Cream gaped down at the situation below them, suddenly feeling very grateful that they were up in the air, safely away from the dangerous situation below.

"CHAOS…**BLAST**!"

Shadow was a few feet off the ground, his legs and arms spread apart, even his head quills seemed to defy gravity as he released all his pent-up energy. Silver was thrown back, the telekinesis hold on Chris and Cream breaking as he was. The tree flew off of Sonic, but sadly, threw Sonic back as well, making him comically moving his hands up and down.

That would have made Chris laugh if Shadow wasn't displaying unstable behavior. The hedgehog in question kept his red glare on the silver hedgehog, never breaking his stride. Silver gulped, now lost of all of his previous feelings of bravery.

Shadow lifted a gloved hand up, a bolt of chaos energy in his hand before anyone could blink. Before he threw it, a raging stream of fire flew toward him at full speed, throwing his feet from under him. Silver blinked before looking up, and his face lit up.

"Blaze!"

…

'Blaze' landed in front of Silver, allowing everyone to observe her. She was a purple cat with three tufts of fur defying gravity on her head, like three ponytails. She had a ruby on her forehead and a purple coat with red trimmings on her sleeves and the material down her chest. She was wearing white, leg-long pants and two gold bracelets. Her gloves were covered with fire that didn't seem to hurt her of melt her gloves. She had shoes that looked similar to Sonics', but were a magenta color and had no buckles.

Her golden eyes held no emotion as she observed the environment, a clueless blue hedgehog, a black and red hedgehog that looked ready to kill, and two younger children, both holding expressions mixed with fear, confusion and curiosity. The children were a female bunny about six or seven and a human boy a few years older.

Unexpectedly, she turned toward Silver and bonked him on the head.

"OW! Blaze, what was that for?"

Blaze smirked at him without remorse, "Because you never think before you act, you naïve hedgehog." Silver groaned at her.

"I hate it when you call me naïve." Blaze just smirked at her 'little brother' and turned toward the group of four (five if you include Cheese), studying them critically. She gave them a small bow.

"My, apologies for my friend, he wasn't thinking clearly." With that being said, she turned back toward Silver with a sliver of irritation in her hard, golden eyes. Silver shrugged at her, clearly not thinking he did something wrong. Sonic gave Blaze a thumbs-up.

"No problem…Blaze was it?" The cat nodded in affirmative, and looked at his leg.

"You're hurt." Sonic looked down at his leg before looking back at her, and laughed good-naturedly.

"Don't worry. I've handled worse." Blaze nodded curtly and was about to speak again when a harsh growl interrupted the conversation.

"**NO PROBLEM? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY AFTER THAT STUPID IDIOT OF A HEDGEHOG ATTACKED US WITHOUT A STUPID ****REASON?**"As Shadow yelled, the red aura brightened more considerably, but nowhere near as bright when he was about to perform the Chaos Blast.

"Hey!" Silver glared at the hedgehog, but calmed down (as Blazes' hand covered his mouth) when he heard the hedgehog growl in his direction.

"**YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO TALK, YOU IDIOTIC HEDGEHOG!**" Silver finally whimpered and hid behind Blaze with a squeak of terror. Blaze sighed irritably, looking at the sky with a 'Why me' expression.

"Shadow…"

The red and black hedgehog turned toward the speaker with a snarl, but stopped immediately when he saw it was Chris. The boy had come closer unnoticeably and watched him with concern in his eyes. He slowly reached out and placed a hand on the hedgehogs' shoulder. Shadow clenched his eyes shut at the contact, and the red aura disappeared gradually.

Shadow collapsed on his knees, Chris immediately kneeling beside him in concern as he panted and shook with exhaustion. The boys' hand stroked up and down his back soothingly, giving soft reassurances to him.

Everybody watched this spectacle in amazement. How could someone calm Shadow with just a soft touch? It was unheard of. Cream smiled at the sight, Sonic slowly formed a smile on his muzzle, Blaze just continued to watch with an impassive expression, and Silver…

…he was gaping open mouthed at the two, stuttering and trembling . pointing his index finger at the both of them.

Shadow looked up at the boys' face, giving him a curt nod, letting him know he was alright. Chris lifted Shadow off the ground on his feet. Cream walked over to the group, her chao following dutifully beside her, "If you mind me asking, Mr. Silver, Miss. Blaze, what were you attacking Sonic for?"

Blaze turned to Silver and narrowed her eyes slightly, causing Silver to gulp. She bowed in front of the four people. "My apologies for how Silver behaved. He listens to whoever gives him warnings and doesn't take the time to think through them."

"Hey!" Everyone ignored Silver. Blaze sighed, turning back to the group.

"But if you must know, we are from the future…" She paused as she heard the unsurprising gasps of shock and awe. "…and someone told us that Sonic was the one that was going to destroy Mobius. But…you don't seem like the type of guy that would hurt a fly."

Shadow raised his hand, "There is a reason…" He gave a smirk to Sonic who frowned at him in annoyance. Chris shook his head in amusement. He turned toward the newcomers.

"You're right. Sonic would never destroy anything or anybody, even Dr. Eggman, and he's his arch enemy. He's a hero…a true one." Sonic smiled gratefully at his friend. Blaze nodded at the boys' words, then turned to her friend with a frown, causing him to back off.

Shadow finally caught onto something. "Hey, who told you that Sonic was going to destroy Mobius?" Sonic nodded.

"Yeah, I would like to find that out myself." Blaze looked steadily at the blue hedgehog.

"It was someone that I think knows you. He said his name was Mephiles."


	10. Chapter 10

"Mephiles?!" Everyone in the clearing gasped at Blazes' statement. Blazes' golden eyes widened slightly in surprise, questions in her golden gaze.

"I take it you met him…"

Shadow growled, "If you're talking about a very poor imitation of me, yes, me and Chris saw him." Chris nodded in affirmation at the ebony hedgehogs' words.

Silver glanced at Shadow cautiously, "You sound pretty angry about it. He's the one who warned me and Blaze about the Iblis Trigger."

Sonic scowled at him, "I told you I am SONIC the HEDGEHOG. Get it through your pine leaf skull." Silver growled, taking an aggressive step forward.

"What did you say, Blues' Clues?" Sonics' green eyes narrowed at the name and he clenched his fists.

"I said Pine Leaf." Silver growled, taking a defensive stance.

"That's it: let's have a fight, one-on-one. No help or breaks throughout it." Chris stepped forward, remembering all the racing bets Sonic made with his uncle.

"Sonic, ignore him please. Don't stoop to his le-." Dust flew in his face as the two hedgehogs jumped forward and started throwing punches. Cream gasped and hid behind Shadow, who was watching the whole thing, crossing his arms over his chest and wearing his signature frown. Blaze sighed and rolled her eyes muttering 'stupid little brothers' under her breath. Chris sighed and sat down on the grass, his head resting in his palms.

"Here we go…"

….

Thirty minutes later the fight continued with no signs of stopping. Chris and Cream had given up watching and began to make flower crowns in a nearby flower field. Shadow had moved to the middle of the distance where he could still see Chris from an easy angle and still keep an eye on the fight. Blaze practiced her fire powers with a fierce intensity until she muttered, "All right, that's it."

The purple cat extended an arm, pointing her index finger to the silver blur and shot a fire blast at it.

"**YYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW!**" Silver broke free of the fight and ran around screaming bloody murder, causing the two children in the field to gasp, Shadow to tense up, and Sonic to watch Silver run around like he was a headless chicken. Blaze grabbed silver by his leg and threw him in the nearby lake. The silver hedgehog sighed blissfully as the soothing water ran over his burns.

"Anyway…all I know is I would never do anything to destroy the world. If anything, that honor goes to Eggman or this Mephiles character." Blaze squinted her eyes at the blue hedgehog, scanning him mentally, as if looking into his very soul.

"I believe you. Your soul is as pure as the Master Emerald. I told you it was unlikely that he was the one." The last part was aimed at Silver, who was blushing with shame and embarrassment.

Sonic chuckled good-naturedly at Silver, "You're not alone in being a naïve guy who believes everything. My good friend Knucklehead is like that all the time. So…want to start over?" He held out a hand to the wet hedgehog, who smiled hesitantly and shook his hand.

"Sure…"


End file.
